title: A clinical study of auriculotherapy in canine thoracolumbar disc disease.
abstract: Auriculotherapy (ear-point acupuncture) was used in dogs (n = 30) suffering from thoracolumbar disc disease, Types I-IV, with a duration of 1 to (47 means = 8) d. During auriculotherapy treatment, no analgaesics or antiinflammatory medications were used. Pressure-sensitive and electrically detectable points on the concave aspect of the external auricle were stimulated by insertion of stainless steel acupuncture needles for 20 min. One to 6 needles were used on each occasion in a maximum of 3 treatments. Fifty per cent of dogs recovered completely and 23% improved. Dogs with backpain only (Type I) and dogs with paresis (Type II) responded best with mean recovery times of 1.7 and 3.2 d respectively. The analgaesic effects were especially impressive. Auriculotherapy failed in 3 (50%) paralysed dogs (Types III and IV) in which post-mortem examinations confirmed focal myelitis and myelomalacia. Four of 12 dogs (33%) recorded relapsed in 1.4 to 26 weeks after successful treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology and Radiology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Medical University of Southern Africa, Medunsa.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Still
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D004285:Dogs; D004423:Ear; D007403:Intervertebral Disc; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000628:therapy / Q000662:veterinary*